Situated in Parc Summerlea, the artwork reflects the seaway that it sits beside. It is composed of four pillars, aligned two by two, that support two arcades. In the stone on the outside face of each column, a leg has been sculpted in bas-relief; on the inside face of each column are carved various animal figures (beaver, hare, deer, bear, bird’s wing). On flagstones on the ground appear silhouettes of fish. In the distance, beside the river, is placed a half-moon-shaped bench made of bricks and cut stone.

The title refers to the obstacles encountered by the voyageurs ascending the river toward the Great Lakes to start up the fur trade, who had to portage to get around the Lachine Rapids. Valade’s work commemorates this forced stop, at which the men lifted their canoes and cargo onto their backs to walk along the portage path. The four pillars evoke the mass and strength of the bodies carrying the canoes. The arcs that rest on the pillars evoke the structure of a large canoe. Viewers who stand between the pillars, their backs to the river, will recognize the bow of the boat turned to make it easier to pull it out of the water.

Le portage was first on display at the first Salon international de la sculpture extérieure, an event organized by the Centre des arts contemporains du Québec à Montréal in 1992 for the 350th anniversary of the foundation of Montréal. With the theme “Aux quatre vents” (To the Four Winds), this exhibition of monumental and environmental sculptures brought together 12 artworks, created specially for the occasion, on the promenade of the Old Port of Montréal. At the end of the event, Valade’s artwork was installed at its permanent site, in Summerlea Park in Lachine.